Disconnecting switch



June 4, 1929. o. H. ESCHHOLZ DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed May 12, 1927 wlAII \4 opoo bnow wo PM OOOOOOOO INVENTQR O/fo H Escfl/m/z WITNESSES:

ATTbRNEY mama June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

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Application filed Kay 12, 1921. Serial No. 190,680.

M invention, relates to switches andmore particularly to thattype known as disconnecting switches.

It is a well known phenomenon that during the flow of heavy current through the switch members the interaction of the current and magnetic flux at the switch corners tends to cause the switch to open.

It is one object of my invention to provide means integral with the fixed portions of the switch that shall prevent the opening of the switch during the flow of heavy current therethrough.

It is another object of my invention to provide a disconnecting switch having attaehed to its fixed portions a material of higher permeability than air that shall prevent the interaction of the current and fluxes at the switch corners from opening the switch at an undesirable time.

It is a further objectof my invention to provide a disconnecting switch of the above type having means for modifying the effects of the interaction of the current and fluxes at the switch corners and that shall provide means for biasing the switch towards its closed position during the flow of heav currents through the disconnecting switc These and other objects that may be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention are attained by means of the apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a disconnecting switch embodying my invention' I Fig. 2 is a fragmentary viewof a disconnecting switch embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a d1sconnecting switch illustrating a different embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view line IVIV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a disconnecting switch of the flow of the current therethrough and the direction of the magnetic flux thereabout. g

To prevent the opening of disconnecting switches during the flow of heavy currents it is proposed to modify the interaction of the current and fluxes at the switch cortaken along the illustrating the direction ners bypsubstituting for air a material of higher ermeabillty, rigidly attached to the switch have found that such magnetic material ma be used' for th1s purpose, is preferably pos1- tioned withln the loop formed by the switch aws and blade;

ase or other suitable members. I

Referring to the drawings, in the conventional type of disconnecting switches strong magnetic fields are produced around the current conducting members, particularly upon the flow of ashort circuit current through the switch. In consequence there is a crowding of the flux within the angles 1, 2, 3, and4 formed by the switch members and which I term the interior angles 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the various loop sections, than at the corresponding exterior angles 5, 6, 7 and 8. It will be noted that the former are less than 180, while the latter are greater than 180. It is well known that, with a sufficiently large current and therefore high flux density of the coacting fluxes in the regions 1, 2, 3 and 4,

repulsive forces of a large order of magnitude will be produced tending to open the switch blade. These forces may be considered as the result of the crowding of the fluxes in the interior angle formed by contlguous members, such as 9 and 11. .These forces may also be considered as resultmg from the .reaction between the current flowing in one member and the magnetic field generated about the second member by the current flowing therethrough. To reduce the magnitude of such forces, the respective fields may be modified by the use, preferably, of magnetic material, such as iron,- located as shown at 12, 13 and 14 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. I have found that with this arrangement the forces tending to open the switch may not only be greatly reduced but actually modified so that the blade is held firmly in its closed position.

Fig. 4 and 5 show a preferred manner in which the magnetic material may be positioned with respect to the switch members. With such a structure, the magnetic fluxes normally generated by the current flowing in the loop member, as illustrated at 15 and 16 in Fig. 6, will now pass through the iron,

and this may be chosen of such dimensions that any leakage field reacting on the current in the adjacent member will be negligible. Since the iron may be-anchored to some suppo ing member, such as 11, the constrict tendency of the flux envelopin the blade will now tend to draw the swi blade towards the iron and to hold such blade in place with an increased'force upon increasing the current flowing through the switch.

While I have shown three magnetic members 12 in Fig. 1 it will be recognized-that their effects are adjunctive and that one or more may be omitted if desired without departing from the .rinciples here disclosed.

Accordingly, I ave provided a disconnecting switch having magnetic means at the interior angles of the switch for modifying the interaction of the currents and fluxes in such a way as to prevent heavy currents from opening the switch during their'fiow therethrough and even to tend to maintain the switch in a closed position with increasing current values. a

While I have illustrated and described but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the mechanism above described without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

claim as my invention:

1. An electrical device comprising two relatively movable current-carrying members disposed at an angle and a magnetic material positioned in the interior angle formed by the said members, the said magnetic material partially enveloping both of said members.

2. An electrical device comprising two relatively movable current-carrying members disposed at an angle, and a magnetic material positioned in the interior angle formed by the said members, the said magnetic material being fixed relative to one of said members and having sufiicient mass within the angle of. the members to provide a substantially free path for the magnetic flux and to thereby eliminate forces tending to relatively displace the members.

3. An electrical device comprising two relatively movable current-carrying members disposed at an angle, and a magnetic material positioned in the interior angle formed by the said members, the. said magnetic material being fixed relative to one of said members and partially enveloping both of said members.

4. An electricaldevice comprising a base 'gage the,contact jaw and u thereon, a blade connected to the hinge jaw and adapted to endisposed at an angle thereto, and a materialhaving a permeability grea than unity in a fixedrelation to one of the said jaws and adjacent to the said blade member and disposed in the said angle and having such mass in the an"le' that it remainsuns'aturated under possi le extreme current conditions. J

5. An electricaldevice comprising a base member having'a hinge jaw and a contact jaw disposed thereon, a blade member connected to the hinge jaw and adapted to engage the contact aw, and a magnetic memaws and adjacent to the blade member, the

to the base member;

6. An electrical device comprising a base member having a hinge jaw and a contact jaw disposed thereon, a blade member connected to'the hinge jaw and adapted to engage the contact jaw, and a magnetic member disposed on the opposite side ofthe said base member at substantially a midway position between the jaw members, the said magnetic member being fixed to the base member.

7. An electrical device comprising a base member having a hinge jaw and .a contact jaw disposed thereon, a blade member connected to the hinge jaw and adapted to engage the contact jaw, a material having a' permeability greater than unity positioned within an angle formed by the said members, and a magnetic member disposed on the opposite side of the said base member at substantially .a'midwa position between the'jaw members, the sail magnetic member being fixed to the base member.

8. An electrical device comprising a fixed memberbaving a jaw and a contact her disposed contiguous to each of the said conductor,.a movable conductor disposed at an angle thereto, and adapted to engage the fixed conductor for conducting current therethe said material being attached to the fixed conductor and havmg'suflicient mass to remam substantially unsaturated under pos-' sible extreme current conditions.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this. 2nd day of May,

OTIO H. ESCHHOLZ. 

